Line manager vs human resources manager

The differences between line managers and human resources managers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 4-6 years to become both a line manager and a human resources manager. Additionally, a human resources manager has an average salary of $80,442, which is higher than the $56,406 average annual salary of a line manager.

The top three skills for a line manager include client facing, continuous improvement and service line. The most important skills for a human resources manager are performance management, customer service, and payroll processing.

Line manager vs human resources manager overview

	Line Manager	Human Resources Manager
Yearly salary	$56,406	$80,442
Hourly rate	$27.12	$38.67
Growth rate	6%	7%
Number of jobs	369,491	43,453
Job satisfaction	-	4.67
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 56%	Bachelor's Degree, 67%
Average age	44	47
Years of experience	6	6

What does a line manager do?

As line managers, they oversee other employees and the business operations while reporting to a higher manager. They play a significant role in the operation of the business from supervising and managing workers daily and acting as a link to upper management and employees. It is part of their responsibility to recruit and hire talent to fill team positions, provide training and learning to new hires, and ensuring that the employees are doing their jobs effectively and efficiently.

What does a human resources manager do?

Human resources managers, or HR managers, are responsible for the overall conduct of the different facets of human resources in the organization. They oversee the different processes involved in recruitment, compensation and benefits, talent development, organizational development, employee relations, and employee engagement. It is important that HR managers are well-versed in the different facets of HR. They set policies and procedures, as well as guiding principles of the organization related to these facets. They must be able to balance the needs of the employees and the rules of the management team. HR managers should have strong decision-making skills, interpersonal skills, and management skills.

Line manager vs human resources manager salary

Line managers and human resources managers have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Line Manager	Human Resources Manager
Average salary	$56,406	$80,442
Salary range	Between $27,000 And $116,000	Between $56,000 And $113,000
Highest paying City	New Brunswick, NJ	Sacramento, CA
Highest paying state	New Jersey	Washington
Best paying company	Microsoft	Bain & Company
Best paying industry	-	Technology

Differences between line manager and human resources manager education

There are a few differences between a line manager and a human resources manager in terms of educational background:

	Line Manager	Human Resources Manager
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 56%	Bachelor's Degree, 67%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	University of Pennsylvania	Northwestern University

Line manager vs human resources manager demographics

Here are the differences between line managers' and human resources managers' demographics:

	Line Manager	Human Resources Manager
Average age	44	47
Gender ratio	Male, 64.7% Female, 35.3%	Male, 29.7% Female, 70.3%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 6.1% Unknown, 4.3% Hispanic or Latino, 14.9% Asian, 6.3% White, 67.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5%	Black or African American, 7.7% Unknown, 5.1% Hispanic or Latino, 11.1% Asian, 5.7% White, 70.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4%
LGBT Percentage	10%	18%

Differences between line manager and human resources manager duties and responsibilities

Line manager example responsibilities.

Lead the team in successfully meeting FDA and GMP requirements.
Manage project developing integration and process flows for fab expansion doubling the area and moving to a larger wafer.
Manage team of database administrators, database technicians and systems administrators responsible for maintaining all production, development and QA systems.
Define and enforce GMP's to subordinates.
Train in FDA standards for food industry.
Establish and measure KPI's ensuring all departments maintain the highest levels of performance.

Human resources manager example responsibilities.

Manage audit efforts to ensure compliance with OFCCP and EEOC standards
Manage requisitions, rout candidates and determine the disposition of each candidate using iCIMS.
Manage all monthly and quarterly financial statement reviews by board as well as A/R, A/P and general ledger.
Manage, implement, and administer proper hiring process to reduce turnover in compliance with e-verify processes and federal law.
Manage and publish several cost-savings models for Sr. level management.
Manage system upgrades, testing and documentation of enterprise-wide PeopleSoft Payroll/HRMS system.

Line manager vs human resources manager skills

Common line manager skills

Client Facing, 11%
Continuous Improvement, 7%
Service Line, 6%
Customer Satisfaction, 6%
Direct Reports, 5%
Process Improvement, 4%

Common human resources manager skills

Performance Management, 8%
Customer Service, 5%
Payroll Processing, 5%
HRIS, 5%
Employee Engagement, 5%
EEO, 4%

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Line Manager
Line Manager vs Human Resources Manager

Updated January 8, 2025

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